


Fireworks

by NotEvenCloseToStraight



Series: Christmas Fics! [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bottom Tony Stark, Christmas Fluff, Firewords, First Kisses, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happily Ever After, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, New Years Eve, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Thor is Oblivious, ThunderIron - Freeform, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 10:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight
Summary: New Years Eve is the perfect time for Tony to tell a certain Hammer-carrying god that he sorta kinda loves him.... right?





	Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last of my 2018 Holiday Commissions!
> 
> Happy New Year Everyone!

“Tony.” Pepper helped fasten the watch around his wrist and smacked at his hand when he tried to fuss with it. “What is wrong with you?”

“I take complete offense to that, Ms. Potts, nothing is wrong with me, I am as perfect as I’ve always been.” Tony looked her dead in the eye as he purposefully re-adjusted his watch and Pepper smacked his hand again just so he would crack a smile.

“No you’re not.” She went back to the mirror, freshening her lipstick and reaching for her new earrings, the ones the Colonel had bought for her as a Christmas present for their first holiday season together. “You’re jittery and anxious and you keep fiddling with your watch– Anthony Stark I  _swear_ , if you don’t stop fiddling with that watch I’ll smack your hand again. Cut it out.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that you act more like my mother then my assistant?” Tony snarked back, clasping the matching necklace around her neck. “Or do you enjoy mother henning so much that you don’t notice anymore?”

“Oh Tony.” Pepper turned around and straightened his bow tie. “First of all, I’m your boss, since I am CEO of Stark Industries and you are content to draw a paycheck as mechanic–”

“ _Executive_  mechanic.”;

“–as executive mechanic. And second of all–” she leaned in and bussed a kiss to his cheek. “I have been mothering you since day one.  _You’re_  the one that never noticed it.”

“Oh, I notice it alright.” Tony protested. “That’s why I buy you diamonds every year.”

“Oh, speaking of which–” she started, raising her eyebrows expectantly and holding out her wrist. “Don’t you have something to give me? My wrist is looking awfully bare, don’t you think?”

“Oh well  _gosh_  we can’t have that can we?” Tony grinned and pulled a jewelry box from his suit pocket, opening it to show off the delicate diamond bracelet inside. “Hows this?”

“Oh my, Mr. Stark!” Her pretty mouth fell open in mock surprise. “Diamonds! How completely unexpected!”

“Is it the one you wanted?” Tony frowned as he tried to work the tiny clasp. “When I called the store to have it sent over, they said you picked out two different bracelets and I didn’t know which one to buy so I bought–”

“–The more expensive one.” Pepper finished. “Wonderful choice. It’s exactly the one I wanted.”

“Well, Rhodey might be dating you,” Tony dropped a peck on her lips. “But I have always bought the best presents.” he paused, then added. “I mean, I always buy the exact one you pick out so you have to love me just for  _that_ , right?”

“Oh I do love you, Tony.” Pepper wiped a smudge of lipstick off the corner of his mouth. “Now then, I have my diamonds, your watch is perfect–stop touching it–!” she smacked his hand again.

“– So now it’s time for you to tell me why you’re so anxious. It’s New Years Eve, the world isn’t ending for once, the entire team is home at the Tower, and yet you are still looking out at the lawn as if you’re waiting for crop circles or aliens of–”

Her voice trailed off when Tony coughed and looked away, her green eyes widening, then softening in realization. “Oh. Oh Tony you’re waiting for Thor.”

Tony picked at his watch and nodded slowly. “He said he wouldn’t be at the Tower for Christmas but he’d be here for New Years. I thought he’d be here earlier but he isn’t so…”

Pepper’s lips twisted into a knowing smile. “Is tonight the night you finally tell him how you feel?”

“Tonight’s the night.” Tony said firmly. “I haven’t seen him in a while and I’m frankly tired of pretending I don’t want to–”

“– ride him like a wild stallion?”

“Good god, Ms. Potts.” Tony frowned at her. “Dating Rhodey has really ruined you, hasn’t it? What a  _mouth_  you have!”

Pepper just giggled and he rolled his eyes. “No Pepper, I’m not going to swagger up to him and tell him I want to ride him like a wild stallion. I’m going to tell him in private conversation that I would be interested in pursuing a relationship with him because we’ve been doing this little dance around each other for long enough, and New Years Eve is the perfect time for us to have this talk. New Year, new relationship.”

“Mm-hmm.” Pepper waggled her eyebrows at him. “And you’re going to say all of that in those exact words?”

“In those exact words.” Tony picked up her champagne from the dresser and drained the glass in one go. “Maybe not those exact words, but something close to that. Something in that general area. Not the stallion thing though. At least not as long as I stay sober. Fairly sober. Some what sober, I mean it is New Years Eve.”

“Well ease up on the champagne then.” Pepper grabbed her clutch and reached for his hand so they could go downstairs. “Otherwise you’ll end up neighing at him from across the room and smacking your own ass suggestively.

“Ms. Potts, never in the history of  _ever_ have I–”

“Tony, I was there at Halloween. We all saw it.”

“Damn you and your all seeing eye.” He muttered. “Anyway. Tonight’s the night I tell him, and if it goes badly I can blame it on the holiday and the champagne and everything will be fine.”

“And if it goes well?”

“I’ll be ringing in the New Year with drunk holiday sex and everything _definitely_ will be fine.”

A sigh. “Oh Tony.”

********************

The annual Stark Tower New Years Eve Party started when the sun went down and didn’t stop until the sun came up again, loaded with enough food and drink to feed a small army, a DJ and a dance floor, lights strung across every available wall and up to the ceiling.

The common area was packed full of friends and family and team members, all dressed to the nines in their holiday best, all giggly and drunk on fantastically overpriced champagne, dancing to the music and spilling out onto the balcony to brave the winter air when it got too hot.

_Ain’t no party like a Tony Stark party cos a Tony Stark party don’t stop._

The music was  _pounding_ inside the Tower, loud enough that no one heard the Bifrost burn a pattern onto the lawn, and no one noticed when the elevator doors opened and Thor stepped out into the mayhem.

It was a rare moment of anonymity for the Thunder God, a few seconds where he could observe the room without people clamoring for his attention or asking about Loki or wondering what happened to his other eye or why he cut his hair and Thor let himself enjoy it.

He scanned the party slowly, picking out the other team members and trying to put names to faces from SHIELD but inevitably his gaze turned to searching for one very specific dark haired genius, and Thor couldn’t help his smile when he finally saw him.

Tony was propped up at the bar, looking as perfectly put together as he always did in one of those sharp suits, his hair playfully tousled like he’d been running his fingers through it– Thor knew it was a practiced, tousled look that required pounds of hairspray, he had seen Tony doing it in the mirror one time and had teased him mercilessly for days– and he was laughing out loud as Clint spun what was no doubt some ridiculous tale, gesturing wildly and stopping to take big sips from whatever was in his cup.

He looked  _wonderful_ , and Thor’s heart squeezed in his chest as Tony leaned into Steve’s side, holding onto the Captain as he cracked up over whatever Clint had said, a wash of sorrow over the reminder that the fast talking, fancy dressing, beautiful  _brilliant_ man would never be his.

But damn him, he still couldn’t stay away, so when Clint handed Tony a champagne bottle and made a motion like he wanted to try and shoot it off his head, Thor took the opportunity to move closer, forcing a big smile to his face and cheer in his tone when he clapped Steve on the shoulder and boomed, “Captain! Hawkeye! How come you aren’t dancing?”

“Thor!” Clint pumped his fist in the air and cheered. “Yes! Now it’s a party! Did you bring mead? Some one needs to loosen ol’ Patriots starched bloomers otherwise the party is going to fail!”

“I don’t wear bloomers, Clint.” Steve gave the archer his best disapproving glare and reached to shake Thor’s hand. “Welcome back, Thor, didn’t know if you’d make it tonight or not.”

“I already missed Yuletide, I certainly wouldn’t miss this feast.” Thor said easily, and when Clint made grabby hands at him, retrieved a flask of mead from his jacket pocket to pour some in each of their glasses, cautioning– “Easy on the mead, Archer. This is not made for mortal men.”

“Ain’t nothin’ mortal about me.” Clint scoffed. “Come on Cap, let’s test this theory.”

“Hey, it’s a better idea than trying to shoot a champagne bottle off my head.” Tony suggested. “Go on Spangles, see if Clint can handle Asgardian mean, and please for the love of god ask JARVIS to record it all.”

“Your parties always end in liquor based shenanigans.” Steve pointed a finger at Tony, who only batted it away with a smirk.

“Add it to the list of things you love about me.” and then, over his shoulder as they moved away. “And bring me some more chips! Don’t let Clint eat all of them!”

Steve answered something that was lost in the noise of the crowd, and Tony waved him off with a grin before turning back to Thor.

“Well now that they’re gone, I can greet you properly.” He put his glass down and grabbed Thor in a hug. “Welcome home, Point Break. We missed you.”

“Home.” Thor repeated, not meaning to come off as rude but left  _reeling_  by the sudden appearance of Tony in his arms. “Ah, yes. Home, um–” he hugged the smaller man just briefly, no more than a second or two, nothing that would be considered inappropriate before easing away. “Thank you. I missed you– _everyone_ – as well.”

“I didn’t really mean home.” Tony backed up when Thor did, feeling foolish for his attempt at a hug. “Not  _home_ , not that the Tower is your home. I know Asgard is your home but I just meant–”

“No, I have come to think of the Tower as my–” Thor rushed to reassure him, catching– and misunderstanding– the flicker of hurt in the dark eyes. “What I mean is–”

“Oh? Oh you think of Earth as a second home?” Tony scratched at his chin. “That’s neat, that’s real– I’m glad to hear that. I mean we love you down here–”

“Right.” Thor smiled warmly, or at least attempted to. “Yes, humans been very welcoming to me–”

“Oh yes, Earth is definitely a fan of–”

They both stopped talking over each other, Tony flushing pink and Thor shrugging awkwardly.

“Um, well anyway. Welcome back.” Tony smiled again, and Thor felt it down to his  _toes_. “How’s Asgard? The family?”

“All is well.” He said politely. “How is– how is Steven? You two are doing…well?”

“Uh, sure?” Tony didn’t quite understand that question, but hey, he’d made everything awkward with that hug that Thor had so obviously didn’t want so he couldn’t really blame Thor for stilted small talk, right? “Yes, everything is good with Steve and good with the rest of the team. Everything’s good.”

“Excellent.” Thor folded his arms so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach for Tony again. “You two make a formidable team.”

“I uh– I guess so.” Tony backed away another step, stumbling over his feet and blushing again. “I’ve had a lot of champagne, guess I’m getting clumsy. Sorry about that.”

“A lot of champagne.” Thor nodded as if that made perfect sense. “That explains–” he motioned between them, his heart sinking when Tony blurted, “Yes! That’s why I hugged you! Champagne! Just lowers those inhibitions, huh?”

Someone shouted across the room for Tony, and he motioned for the bartender to refill his glass before turning their way, offering a half hearted, “Got to go play host again. See you later, Hammer-man.” as he went.

“Bye… Anthony.” Thor slumped back onto a stool and when the bartender asked if he wanted anything, he shook his head, pulling out his flask of mead.

If he had to watch Tony be sweet with Steve all night, he would need something stronger than scotch.

As for Tony, he set his jaw stubbornly as he crossed the room.

One botched hug didn’t mean the night was ruined. He’d figure out a way to tell Thor how he felt one way or another before the ball dropped at midnight.

He was bound and determined to start the New Year with a hunky blonde god in his bed.

*****************

“So I had a bunch of requests for Santa Claus to make an appearance.” Tony popped back up at Thor’s side close to an hour later, a fresh drink in his hand, his words just the tiniest bit champagne slurred. “I sure hated to disappoint them though, just couldn’t make it happen.”

“Oh?” Thor sent Tony a sideways look, not sure why he had left the Captain, but glad to see him nonetheless. “I’d think a man like you could make anything happen if he wanted it badly enough.”

“It’s so great that you said that.” Tony waggled his eyebrows, elbowing Thor teasingly. “Because that’s a great segue into my next point. You’re sort Santa Claus material, you know? So I have this suit in the back room you can wear and–”

Thor looked at him blankly, and Tony added, “And you know, you have a beard so that’s taken care of.  We could swap out you eye patch for a glittery one? It would blend right in, what do you say?”

“Are you asking me to play Santa Clause?” Thor asked incredulously and Tony burst out laughing at his look of shock. . “I think I should take offense to that! I am not shaped like Father Christmas!”

“I’m just saying, I’ll sit on your lap and tell you everything I want for Christmas next year if you wear the suit.” Tony winked suggestively and Thor’s heart leapt in his chest for just a second. “And I hear Steve’s a sucker for blondes in red too so hey, that works out. Got both the main Avengers voting for you to be Santa Claus. How can you say no?”

And just that fast the moment was over, Thor looking away as he took a drink, cursing himself for hoping again.

This happened  _every time_  between them. Tony was flirty and funny and sweet and for a while there, Thor had thought those smiles were just for him, the fond nicknames, the way Tony’s eyes lit whenever Thor walked into a room, and there had been a moment where Thor had very seriously considered telling Tony that he had fallen for him, that he very much wanted to carry him away and show him exactly how much he wanted him–

–And then  _Halloween_  had happened. It was another one of Tony’s ridiculous parties, and the genius had come dressed as someone from  _Alfheimr_ , dusted in glitter, pointed ears, nearly translucent wings on his back and wearing linen short shorts over sheer tights. Thor had almost collapsed,  _sure_ that Tony had dressed that way to garner his attention, that dressing as a Light Elf was a  _certain_ sign of interest.

But Steve had come in dressed much the same way, and Tony had shouted and ran across the room and kissed the Captain square on the lips as everyone else gathered around to take pictures.

Thor had quietly put away everything he’d wanted to say, and resigned himself to watching and  _wanting_ from the sidelines.

But Tony’s behavior hadn’t changed at all since then, he still teased Thor every chance he got, bumping into him and coming up with increasingly funny nicknames, flirting with that wicked look in his eyes. It was worse when he drank, touches that lingered just a touch too long, eye contact that lasted seconds past appropriate, that distracting thing he did with his tongue when he ran it over his top lip as he laughed–

–Nothing had changed, and it was driving Thor crazy.

It wasn’t right for Tony to act that way with him if he was with Steve, and it wasn’t right for Thor to still want him.

It just wasn’t  _right_.

Suddenly feeling much less merry, Thor finished his drink and put it down. “I won’t be playing Santa Claus, Anthony.”

“Real shame that.”  _Damn those eyes and the way they sparkle_. “I would have looked forward to sitting on your lap.”

“I’m sure any Claus impersonator would be happy to hear your Christmas wishes.” Thor said flatly. “I’m going to get another drink.”

“Um–” Tony’s mouth fell open a little when Thor stalked away. “What just happened?”

****************

“Tony.” Pepper shut the doors to the balcony behind her and came to the railing with him. “It’s  _freezing_  out here, what are you doing? It’s only ten minutes until the ball drops and everyone is waiting to watch.”

“Yeah, I know.” Tony kept leaning against the railing of the balcony, staring down at the lights below. “I’ll be in a little later.”

“Things aren’t going so well with Thor?” She whispered, budging up against his shoulder. “What happened?”

“I’ve tried everything.” Tony said miserably. “I gave him a hug when he first got here and he reacted like I had cooties. I teased him about sitting on his lap if he dressed as Santa Claus and he told me to find someone else. I brought him a drink when he was sitting with Maria and he handed it to her and told me I was a gracious host to take such good care of my friends.”

“Oh no.” Pepper murmured. “I’m sorry, Tony.”

“I don’t know if he’s just oblivious.” Tony tried to shrug it off. “Or if he’s really not interested so he’s trying to let me down easy. I  _thought_ he was interested. He used to  _act_  like he was interested. Granted–” he sighed. “–granted I’ve had like, four bottles of champagne to myself so I’m not thinking super clearly right now but–”

“Well, have you tried to be more obvious about it?” She suggested, choosing to ignore the  _four bottles of champagne_  comment. “Maybe he’s not exactly  _oblivious_ , but he probably thinks your hints are just you being flirty.”

“What do you mean?” Tony narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I’m not flirty.”

“Tony, I watched you flirt with the coffee machine the other day.” Pepper said patiently. “You called her a sexy thing and promised to give her whatever she wanted as long as she was a good girl.”

“That was more like… bribery. I needed my java.”

“I’m just saying.” She turned him towards her so she could fix his shirt, erase some of the lipstick from his cheek from a dozen different kisses from a dozen different woman all wanting pictures with Iron Man. “You’re the flirtiest person I’ve ever met in my life, and maybe Thor thinks that what you say to him isn’t…meaningful. He sees you sit on everyone’s lap, you kissed Clint because he brought you a bagel the other day–”

Tony’s face fell, and she clicked her tongue sympathetically. “You just need to make it obvious that the way you flirt with him is different than how you flirt with everyone else. And you need to make it _obvious_.”

“Alright so how do I make it meaningful and obvious short of grabbing him and kissing him on the lips!” Tony threw up his hands in frustration, then his mouth opened in an “ _oh_ ” expression and Pepper nodded triumphantly.

“It will be midnight in just about eight minutes.” She glanced at the watch on Tony’s wrist. “Seven minutes. You have seven minutes to convince him you want him. I’ll get him out here for you, you do the rest.”

“I love you.” Tony kissed her quickly and Pepper raised her eyebrows. “Oh.  _This_  is the thing you’re talking about?”

“That’s the thing I was talking about, yep. I’ll go get Thor for you.”

Pepper ducked back through the doors to rejoin the party, locating Thor quickly and standing on her toes to whisper, “Thor, you need to go outside and help Tony right now, I tried to help him but I couldn’t!”

“Help him with what?” Thor looked completely confused, and Pepper tugged at him urgently. “Just go! Go help him right now, please!”

Thor emptied his glass and set out for the balcony, long strides carrying him there in no more than a few steps and Pepper smiled in satisfaction.

It was all up to Tony now, and she knew for a  _fact_  he’d had someone to kiss every New Year since he was sixteen.

It would work out just fine.

“There you are, beautiful.” Rhodey stepped up behind her and kissed her cheek. “I just barely got here and didn’t see you at first. You look beautiful tonight.”

“James.” Pepper smiled in delight at her boyfriend, pursing her lips for another kiss. “I didn’t think you’d make it until the morning!”

“Yeah, well when you’re War Machine–” Rhodey straightened his shoulders proudly. “Even meeting with the President has to wait when it comes to seeing you.”

“Colonel Rhodes.” She batted her eyelashes playfully. “You sure do know how to make a girl feel important. Why don’t you come a little closer and we can get our evening started?”

“Well, I need to see Tony for just a minute.” He kissed her one more time and stated to pull away. “Just a minute to check in with him and then I’ll be right by your side showing you exactly how important you are for the rest of the night.”

“Oh no you don’t.” She grabbed at his tie and held tight. “You are not going out to that balcony right now, no sir, stay here with me.”

“I’ll just be a minute!” he protested over a laugh. “I promise–”

“I said no, Colonel James Rhodes.” She tugged him towards the bar. “I need a martini. Very very dry, lots and lots of olives and it’s your job to get it for me, so let’s go.”

Easily swayed by his girlfriend– and not really wanting to be out in the cold anyway– Rhodey followed her to the bar.

Pepper glanced back at the balcony and crossed her fingers. “Good luck, Tony.” she whispered.

******************

“Anthony.” Thor closed the door behind him to keep the cold air from seeping into the party. “Pepper said you needed my help?”

“ _Ack_! What?” Tony jumped when Thor spoke, and swallowed a painfully large amount of champagne, his eyes watering as it burned on the way down. “Oh god, those bubbles are the worst. Um, what? Pepper said I needed help?”

“Yes, she said that she tried to help you but she wasn’t able to.” Thor said patiently. “Is everything alright?”

“Ah.” Pulling on a last few shreds of dignity– and trying to not snort champagne out of his nose– Tony nodded. “Right. I um– I need a reason to talk to you and that’s apparently the one she came up with.”

“Why did you need a reason to talk to me?” Thor came to stand at the railing, keeping a respectful distance between he and Tony, even though he could tell Tony was shivering and wanted nothing more than to offer to keep him warm. “Is everything alright?”

“Everything is–” Tony took a deep breath and decided to just  _go_ for it.

_Obvious, right?_

“Everything’s fine, but it would be better if you kissed me at midnight.”

“ _What_?!” Now Thor looked like the one who had inhaled some bubbly. “If I  _what_?!”

“Look.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to think clearly. “I have had a  _lot_  to drink tonight, and I’m fully willing to admit that most of it was needed for liquid courage and you kept kind of dodging me or ducking me or whatever– whatever you were doing so I kept drinking and now–”

He squinted up at Thor. “– now I feel like there might be two of you, but you’re so big it could just be one of you, but in the dark and all, I mean who the hell knows? Could be the alcohol could be an Asgardian trick, could be–”

“Anthony.” Thor held up a hand to stop the ramble before it picked up any more steam and went off the tracks entirely. “You want me to kiss you at midnight?”

“So bad.” Tony laughed a little, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Oh man, Thor I want to kiss you at midnight s _o bad_. And after midnight and tomorrow at lunch and–”

“Stop.” Thor raised his hand again and Tony shut up. “Anthony, what about–”

“Do you want to kiss me?” Tony interrupted. “Or not? That’s all I need to know right now.”

“Of course I do.” Thor suddenly looked looked sad. “ _Of course_  I do, but what about the Captain? I will not be in the way of your relationship, and I cannot–” he shook his head. “I cannot share you. I am too selfish a man to share my lover with anyone else, to possessive to see you in another man’s bed, I cannot do it.”

“Okay now  _you_  need to stop.” Tony tipped his head back, staring up at the moon as he thought about what Thor had said. “What about Steve? Who cares about him? He’s probably in there making out with Sam or Maria or taking shots with Clint and making bad decisions. I don’t care about him. And what do you mean you are too selfish to share?”

“You don’t care about him.” Thor repeated. “Why not?”

“I mean, I care about him in a ‘oh man, let’s all follow Cap to the battlefield’,” Tony said vaguely. “But beyond that I couldn’t give a flying fornication what Spangles does.”

“Then you and the Captain aren’t together.” Thor clarified. “You aren’t together at all?”

“What? Why would you think me and Steve are together?” Tony’s eyes opened comically wide. “Oh god, me and Stars and Gripes? No way! Why would you think that?”

“At Halloween.” Thor said gruffly. “You dressed as a Light Elf and I had thought perhaps it was a costume you had chosen for me. But Steven was dressed the same, and you kissed him. Everyone took pictures.”

“And you thought we were dating because I kissed him?” Tony asked incredulously. “Thor! I’ve kissed everyone on the team a billion times! I kissed Fury just a few minutes ago! That doesn’t mean anything!”

“You kissed him on the lips.” Thor clarified. “On the lips, and took pictures together and you wore matching outfits and held hands when you walked to the elevator, and then the elevator went up to your penthouse and Steve spent the night.”

“Yep, yep that looks bad.” Sheepishly, “Well, I did kiss him on the lips yes, but it was because Steve hadn’t worn lip gloss and I had so I gave him a kiss to make sure he had glittery lips. He uh– he lost a bet and I made him wear the costume as payback.”

“And the holding hands?”

“You spiked the punch with mead, remember?” Tony blushed bright red. “I could barely stand and Steve had to pretty much carry me to bed and he was a little mead drunk too so he passed out in my living room. That’s all.”

“That’s…all?” Thor hated himself for hoping, but  _oh_ he hoped. “You two aren’t together?”

“Not even a little bit, even though in retrospect, you have every reason to think we were dating, or at the very least sleeping together.” He glanced up at the demi-god nervously. “But you want to kiss me, huh? As long as you don’t want to share me?”

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for ages now, Anthony.” Thor brought his fingers to Tony’s hair, brushing away a few pieces of glitter that had fallen from a decoration and sprinkled over the dark strands down onto his shoulders. “Had I known you and Steven were not together, I would have taken you to bed myself on Halloween.”

“Well better late than never, right?” Behind the balcony doors, the crowd was shouting “ _10…9….8..!”_ and Tony stepped closer, peeking up at Thor from beneath his lashes. “Because if I like you and you like me…”

“ _7…6…5…4…!”_

“…at the very least, we should kiss at midnight just to make sure we’re compatible.” he finished slyly. “Right?”

“Compatible?” Thor put a careful hand at Tony’s waist. “I suppose that is important.”

“ _3…2…1…!”_

“Oh so  _very_  important.” Tony breathed, and when Thor bent to kiss him, he stood on his toes to make it happen faster, their lips connecting just as everyone shouted “Happy New Year!” and fireworks started exploding in the sky above.

Thor kissed him once, and then twice, sliding his fingers into Tony’s hair to hold him still for a  _better_  kiss, but Tony started chuckling against his mouth and Thor pulled away in confusion.

“Anthony, why are you laughing?”

“I just–” Tony kept giggling, wiping at his eyes. “I’ve heard of people seeing fireworks when some hunky guy kisses them? But I never actually thought it was true!”

“Maybe we should wait until morning.” Thor laughed just because  _Tony_ was laughing and he loved that sound. “Try this again when the champagne has washed from your system and see if there are still fireworks, hm?”

“Psh, screw that.” Tony grabbed at Thor’s jacket with both hands and yanked him back down for a hard kiss. “Why should we waste perfectly good fireworks? We can kiss all night tonight  _and_ tomorrow morning.”

“And the morning after that?” A big palm at the back of Tony’s neck in a possessive hold, what looked like lightning in those mesmerizing blue eyes. “What then?”

“Why don’t you just plan on kissing me every day for the foreseeable future, howz'about'dat?”

Thor moaned his agreement over a champagne soaked kiss, their tongues slipping and curling together, hands growing greedier with every touch, fireworks going on and on above their heads, the music behind them the familiar tones of _Auld Lang Syne_.

Back inside the party, Natasha elbowed Steve sharply in the ribs, motioning out the window so he would see Thor and Tony kissing, Tony making little effort to hide the fact that he was trying to climb Thor like a damn tree, Thor more than willing to help by lifting him off his feet and pinning him up against a wall.

“God dammit.” Steve ripped a fifty out of his wallet. “How do you always know? I  _never_  would have thought those two would get together.”

“Happy New Year, Cap.” She said mildly. “Do you want to bet on how long it will be until Tony lets Thor out of the bedroom?”

“Nope. Not even a little bit.”


End file.
